Tunneling machine with concrete form transfer apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tunneling machine having a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel.

United States Patent Tabor 451 Sept. 12, 1972 TUNNELING MACHINE WITH Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza CONCRETE FORM TRANSFER Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham APPARATUS Attorney-Wheeler, House & Wheeler [72] Inventor: John R. Tabor, 3400 Spruce St.,

I Racine, Wis. 53403 [57] ABSTRACT I22] med: 1970 A tunneling machine having a form transfer and han- [211 App], No; 17,005 dling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which sup- Related U.S. Appllcatlon Data port the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in [62] g gz gf gg July I968 the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and con- [52] US. Cl. ..2l4l1 BB, 214/1 PA, 214/1 Q vey hem in Said unobstructed space mward the head [51] ll. end of the tunnel. [58] Field of Search ...214/l P, l B, 1 BB, 1 Q, 1 PA; 61/42, 85

[56] References Cited 3 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,206,824 9/1965 Cerutti ..6l/42 X 'H, a I I 0 HM o H i" w /5/ $5 #4 I l, #4 0 /7 a #7 m2 /.55 s 1 /3 /05 O7 4 I s L /7 /7 I l we /4/ /43 t 67 P'A'TENTEDSEP 12 I972 SHEET 2 BF 2 TUNNELING MACI'IINE WITH CONCRETE FORM TRANSFER APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of copending US. patent application Ser. No. 743,363 filed July 9, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,561,223 granted Feb. 9, 1971, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY OF TI-H-E INVENTION The invention relates to a tunneling machine having a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 122, inclusive, are illustrated and described in said US. Pat. No. 3,561,223.

In the attached drawings;

FIG. 14 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the tunnel and showing in elevation the form handler mounted on the truss.

FIG. 15 is a cross section taken along the line 15-15 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a cross section taken along the line 16-16 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a cross section taken through the tunnel and showing the form handler in the course of handling a partially collapsed top form section.

FIG. 18 is a similar cross section showing the form handler in the course of handling a partially collapsed bottom form section.

FIG. 19 is a side elevation of the form handler, a portion of this view being shown in vertical longitudinal section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

The entire disclosure of said US. Pat. No. 3,561,223 is incorporated herein by reference. Particular attention is invited to FIGS. 2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 22, and to the accompanying description.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the

space about the truss beinfi substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of e legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel, said truss having rails on which the trolley rides, said trolley having a hollow center through which the truss extends, said trolley having bearings on which said form carrier is rotatable to shift forms about said truss from beneath the truss into said unobstructed space.

2. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel, said unobstructed space being at the top and sides of the truss, said forms comprising top form sections and bottom form sections, said trolley further comprising form carrier means to selectively carry either a top form section or a bottom form section, and means to rotate said form carrier means to transfer a bottom form section to a position at the top and sides of the truss in substantial alignment with said unobstructed space and convey it through said space to the head end of the tunnel.

3. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel, said trolley having a hollow interior within which the truss is received, said truss having tracks on which the trolley is movable longitudinally along the truss, said trolley having a form carrier rotatable thereabout to shift forms from the bottom of the truss to the top of the truss. 

1. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head End of the tunnel, said truss having rails on which the trolley rides, said trolley having a hollow center through which the truss extends, said trolley having bearings on which said form carrier is rotatable to shift forms about said truss from beneath the truss into said unobstructed space.
 2. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel, said unobstructed space being at the top and sides of the truss, said forms comprising top form sections and bottom form sections, said trolley further comprising form carrier means to selectively carry either a top form section or a bottom form section, and means to rotate said form carrier means to transfer a bottom form section to a position at the top and sides of the truss in substantial alignment with said unobstructed space and convey it through said space to the head end of the tunnel.
 3. In a machine of the character described, a form transfer and handling device comprising a truss which extends longitudinally of the tunnel, said truss having legs which support the truss from the tunnel floor, the space about the truss being substantially unobstructed except in the vicinity of the legs, a trolley movable along the truss, and a form carrier on the trolley to pick up form sections from near the rear end of the truss and convey them in said unobstructed space toward the head end of the tunnel, said trolley having a hollow interior within which the truss is received, said truss having tracks on which the trolley is movable longitudinally along the truss, said trolley having a form carrier rotatable thereabout to shift forms from the bottom of the truss to the top of the truss. 